Tuesday morning, Massac County commissioners received an update on the county’s taxing cycle from Supervisor of Assessments Gary Hamm, who told the board his office will be receiving mapping changes this Friday and he is tentatively aiming to publish the county’s abstract around the first week in March.

After that, individuals with complaints to file would be able to file them and meet with the board of review, which would begin the first week of April.

According to Hamm, the taxing cycle is taking a little longer than he had anticipated, but nevertheless he expects the tax information should be ready to file shift to County Clerk John Taylor at the end of April.

Hamm explained after he publishes the county’s abstract, the tentative multiplier would be issued. After the board of review hearings are held, the information is sent to the state, which determines the equalization factor/multiplier based on the sales ratio study for three years compared to the changes in values from the last year. After the final multiplier is issued for the county, Hamm would file shift the tax information to Taylor.

Taylor told the board his office will be busy with the April 9 municipal election, but when he receives the tax information it should not take him long to process the information and shift the information on to the treasurer’s office.

Hamm also spoke to the board regarding the county’s Geographic Information System (GIS) fund fee. He said his goal is to provide as much information as possible to the public. “The more stuff that is available to the public, the better,” said Hamm, pointing out that by putting mapping and assessment information online for attorneys doing title policies, realtors, appraisers and members of the public would better inform everyone.

The current GIS fee is $55 for the first five pages, with $27 going to the GIS fund and $28 going to the county clerk’s office, which does not include other fees the clerk’s office charges for recordings. “We have been talking about increasing that fee to $75,” explained Hamm.